Morning Tailgate: Rogers vs. Rams WR Austin

49ers slot cornerback Carlos Rogers will have his hands full, manning the slot in San Francisco's Week 4 matchup with St. Louis

The St. Louis Rams weren’t worried that the 49ers were going to jump ahead of them in 2013 NFL Draft. The Rams trade up eight spots, to eighth overall, because that was they value they placed upon speedy wideout Tavon Austin.

“We needed a dynamic playmaker. If we stayed where we were we probably weren’t going to have a chance,” St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said Tuesday morning. “The future’s ahead of him. He’s an outstanding player. We’re looking forward to watching him make a lot of plays for us.”

The 49ers hope this doesn’t start Thursday, when San Francisco visits its NFC West division rival for a nationally-televised game.

“I think the Rams philosophically are a run-first team,” 49ers defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said Tuesday. “Austin does give them another threat. He’s an excellent receiver in the slot where they like to play him most of the time.”

This means that, most of the time, 49ers cornerback Carlos Rogers will be covering Austin, who has 18 receptions, two for touchdowns, entering Week 4.